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KRISHNA Kumari, the first Hindu woman to have been elected to the Senate, arrives at the
Parliament House with her parents on Monday. She belongs to Tharparkar district of Sindh. —Tanveer Shahzad / White Star

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suspects at least seven senators, including a couple of its own, ditched it in the election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

Raja Zafarul Haq, the candidate of the ruling alliance for the chairman, secured 46 votes — the exact total of the members of the four parties which were part of the five-party ruling alliance. This clearly shows that either no one from outside the alliance voted for Mr Haq or some of the members from within the alliance had voted for the opponents in violation of party discipline.

A number of PML-N leaders, including those who remained part of the consultations within the party and in the negotiations with other parties, said they had taken part in the elections with confidence that the ruling alliance would secure 57 votes after being assured of support by their allies and other parties.

“We had calculated 57 votes for us and 46 for the opponents. However, it turned the other way round,” said a senior PML-N leader, who described the day-long development as “depressing”.

Soul-searching within PML-N over who abandoned the party

The five-party ruling alliance presently has 48 members in the 104-member upper house of parliament. With the absence of senator-elect Ishaq Dar, the PML-N had been left with 32 senators, followed by five members each of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and the National Party (NP), four members of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) and one member of the PML-Functional.

The PML-N leader claimed their vote tally had reached 53 with the support of the two members of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), two senators from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and a Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) member and a member of the Awami National Party (ANP), which had assured the ruling party of their support.

He admitted that the delay in the announcement of the candidates also played a major role, as it allowed the rumour-mongers to launch propaganda that the PML-N-led alliance was short of numbers. Also, he believed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif should have stayed in the capital to supervise the whole exercise instead of visiting Lahore a day before the election.

The PML-N leader said they had ‘doubts’ that the four-member JUI-F and some Fata members had voted against them. He said the JUI-F was actually interested in getting the office of the deputy chairman but they lost “a toss” against the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), which later nominated Usman Kakar for the slot.

It seemed they lost interest in the whole exercise afterwards, he said, adding that the party might have been contacted by the senators-elect from Balochistan, where the JUI-F had supported a move to dislodge the PML-N government. Absence of three JUI-F senators when their names were called in alphabetical order for voting was surprising for many though they later came to the house and were allowed to vote out of turn.

The PML-N leaders suspect that a minority member of the ruling alliance and a PML-N senator from Balochistan, Kalsoom Parveen, had polled votes for the opposition-backed Sanjrani-Mandviwalla panel. According to them, there is also a possibility that the Fata senators might have voted en bloc for the candidates of the opposition parties. Ms Parveen later told a private TV channel that she had cast her second vote in favour of Mr Mandviwalla for the office of deputy chairman. She has been in the Senate since 2009. Previously associated with the Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A), Ms Parveen was awarded ticket by the PML-N leadership amid opposition from some party leaders when she switched her loyalty.

Sources in the PML-N said the leadership had finalised the name of NP president Hasil Bizenjo for the Senate chairman’s office but the decision had to be changed at the last minute due to several reasons. BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal had categorically told them on Sunday night that his party’s lone senator would not vote for the ruling alliance, if Mr Bizenjo was nominated, the sources said. Similarly, they said, the NP president’s nomination was opposed by the PkMAP.

They said the coalition partners — the PkMAP, the NP and the JUI-F — after allowing the PML-N to nominate its candidate for the chairman’s office, had told Nawaz Sharif that they would decide among themselves the candidature for the office of the deputy chairman.

They said Mr Bizenjo, who was already reluctant to accept the offer, himself withdrew from the race and then the matter between the PkMAP and the JUI-F was decided on a toss.

The sources said a PML-N delegation remained engaged with the JI and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) till late hours. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also accompanied the delegation during a meeting with JI leaders Sirajul Haq and Liaquat Baloch. The sources added that the MQM-P had told the ruling party’s delegation that the MQM-P could not vote for their candidates as they had already made commitment to the other group.

The sources said that a group within the PML-N wanted the leadership to hold a thorough inquiry to find out those who ditched the party and caused embarrassment to it.

If money or illegal means were used to lure the senators then buyer and seller both should be thrown out of the senate. If not then its all good.

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Salman

Mar 13, 2018 07:44am

You mean, you don't know, who ditched you in this time of need ? This only proves, you are not a good manager nor a good people's person.

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khalid

Mar 13, 2018 08:19am

How come NS is still holding meetings in-spite of SC ruling not to do this.
NS is law breaker by habit.

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Saad Khan

Mar 13, 2018 08:45am

So the final results are that with the active presence of Nawaz Sharif, N League and Maulana Fazal ur Rehman lost and Imran Khan won. Same will happen in General Elections when Nawaz Sharif will no more be even present.

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HA

Mar 13, 2018 09:15am

Democracy is the best revenge.

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JEEP

Mar 13, 2018 09:24am

Zardari at his BEST. SIr SALUTE

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anonymouseeee

Mar 13, 2018 09:27am

People have become sick of PML and Nawaz Shareef.

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Dr. Doctor

Mar 13, 2018 10:01am

I personally feel that JI and JUI ditched PMLN and the domino effect reverberated by affecting the learned men from FATA.

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M.Mudassir Siddiqui

Mar 13, 2018 10:21am

now the first time, they have been compelled to taste their own meal i.e. horse trading.

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Imran Khan a Vulture

Mar 13, 2018 10:44am

If they are PMLN senators disciplinary action should be taken against them. And they should be removed from Senate

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Asad

Mar 13, 2018 11:12am

Noon is having the taste of its own medicine, the trend they started by taking parliamentarian to Changa Manga to buy their votes.

Whats is advantage to general public. If we see the people in Sentae whose interests are party and self centric interests and also can ditch ideology (so called) for the benefits, how will they lead Pakistan.

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ALI

Mar 13, 2018 11:40am

The religion of a citizen should not be of importance in these affairs, Hindu, Christian or Muslim, We love ALL PAKISTANIS!

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Abdul Majeed Sheikh

Mar 13, 2018 11:49am

JI vote for PML-N what an irony if it is true

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Juxtice

Mar 13, 2018 12:10pm

PML-N downfall is here. Overconfidence is their downfall and time for change.

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Saif Zulfiqar

Mar 13, 2018 12:14pm

The main reason was the value of buying and selling price of the Vote. Politcians did better than Stock markets of Pakistan.

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SHAHZ

Mar 13, 2018 12:14pm

Our country is in distress, I really hope something positive is in the vicinity for our nation!

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Tanny

Mar 13, 2018 12:33pm

Proud to be a Pakistani. Please everyone here celebrate our differences and don't make them into obstacles.

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M.S.Awan

Mar 13, 2018 12:45pm

This is one big lesson for PML(N).They must reassess their position and stop the on going tirade against judiciary.They must provide evidence to prove that they are not involved in any corruption instead of holding of holding peoples courts(Jalsa`s) & making uncalled for remarks.

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SHAHID SATTAR lSHAHID SATTAR

Mar 13, 2018 12:50pm

The corrupt have inherited the earth.

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Love Your Country

Mar 13, 2018 12:59pm

Someone somewhere is doing the utmost to derail the democratic process in Pakistan with new instruments. What will happen in the general elections is anybody's guess now.

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sana

Mar 13, 2018 01:08pm

its not the lose of PML_N
its the victory of Mr. Zardari with the support of Mr. Imran khan .have fun

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Mar 13, 2018 02:08pm

Downfall and failure to control Senator's chairmanship was due to corrupt practices and poor performance in the past. So, elected members decided to dispel such hypocrites and cronies, and look for new leaders - this is what they did. You don't have to be rocket scientist to understand demise of PMLN and PPP in Senator!

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JK

Mar 13, 2018 02:20pm

Nothing went wrong. People have spoken.

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k k tiwari

Mar 13, 2018 02:34pm

Definitely some black sheeps joined opposition

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M A MUJEEB, CANADA

Mar 13, 2018 03:21pm

@khalid I agree, why NS is still holding meetings with other parties. Also other parties are disregarding Supreme Court's decision by dealing with NS who has been disqualified to hold any postion in Noon league. Where is Shahbaz, the acting president of Noon league?

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Rana Iqbal

Mar 13, 2018 03:54pm

Mafia Kings

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Jalil Akber Toronto

Mar 13, 2018 04:25pm

This right election, Sanjarani deserve, bcs good that Senate did not control PMLN, otherwise, similar ruling will be pass, with one Vote purchased disqualification bill to make qualification, Hasil Bazenzo carrying in senate, bcs new and young leadership come from Baluchistan.

You summed it up in first two sentences. The senators ditched PMLN as it has become a dynasty more than a party.

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Shahzad Akbar Shaikh

Mar 15, 2018 03:50pm

This is a win for PML-N. Congratulations

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LOVE YOUR COUNTRY

Mar 16, 2018 11:24am

@MK - is PPP not a dynasty? Father, wife, daughter, husband, son and more to come. Where is the second line of command (even the first line) in PTI? Only JI has a proper demonstrated working system. Please correct me if I am mistaken.